A Sight Found in the Drift
by Sky Blue Hunter's Soul
Summary: Rin's sure of it; he knows who he belongs with and who his partners are- who they should be, have to be- and one day he gets tired of waiting for them to see the light too. So he gets the ball rolling and he's never been more grateful for his brash nature.


**A Sight Found in the Drift**

Rin is the one to bring it up with the Marshal.

It's only a hunch, a thrum of an undercurrent hiding beneath his skin whenever the other is around, but he's curious and he wants to know.

The Marshal gives him a narrow glare but sets it up for the next day. Rin heads back to the barracks to tell his best friends.

Haruka is a Ranger; partnered with some nobody Rin doesn't think is good enough for him (and their less than stellar Drift percentages back him up). Makoto is an engineer; perpetually grease or oil stained in a way Rin feels suits him. Rin's never thought, with how close the pair are, that it should be possible for them to not be together. They're already in each other's goddamn heads every second of every day. There have been times when he's talking to Haru and the older man will grow suddenly distant, his eyes focused on some point past his fellow Ranger, but it's the fondness in his gaze that alerts Rin to exactly who he's thinking of. Occasionally, Haru will snap out of that reverie with an offhand comment like "Makoto wants to meet for lunch," that makes Rin suspicious of the fact that they've never drifted (especially when they _do_ meet him for lunch and Makoto is pleasantly surprised to see them, having wanted to ask but not having had the chance yet) because how else is it possible Haru just _knows_?

Other times it's Makoto who does it to him. Makoto will be sitting with him at lunch in a mess hall both crowded and boisterously noisy and he'll stop mid-sentence and turn and meet Haru's eyes immediately where the man's just entered the room.

He knows _why_ they haven't drifted.

Makoto hates fighting. He always has. He's a gentle soul, the kind that's hard to find, and Haru treasures that enough to not have pushed him about the issue. Haru let himself be paired with a less than ideal partner to save his ideal partner from doing something Makoto would hate. But Makoto still followed his best friend, determined not to lose him. And there have been times when Rin has seen them in each other's arms, Makoto trembling in Haru's embrace after the Ranger comes back from a hard fight bruised or bleeding with a wounded Jaeger that _could have been more_, could have been the end of either of them... or both of them.

Because both would perish if one does. Rin knows it. They're too close, they've always been too close. And Rin figures if they're going to mentally be fucking co-pilots already they may as well be actual co-pilots.

Rin doesn't know why he's throwing himself in between them, exactly, but it goes back to that feeling that burns his skin and it just feels damn well _right_.

Haru is stoically unimpressed by the news that he'll be drifting with Rin and then Makoto in the morning. His only question is, "Toshi's performance not doing it for you?"

Rin rolls his eyes and flops hard onto the bed behind his fellow Ranger. "He's passable. But barely. That's not why though."

"Let me guess, this has to do with you and your ego?"

"No, it has to do with you two being possibly _the_ most perfect co-pilots and not taking advantage of that fact."

"You say that," Haru says mildly, "but yet you said it was going to be _us_ drifting with _you_."

Rin shrugs, meets Makoto's worried stare. "Yeah. But then you two."

He can almost _feel_ Haru's tension increase. "I don't want Makoto to fight if he doesn't want to-"

"I'll do it."  
They both look to the quiet engineer, who's sitting in a spare chair with a pensive expression. Makoto looks up and smiles at them. They can both sense the fear under his calm façade but he's putting on this brave face for them.

"I want to try. This may be one of your weirder ideas, Rin, but I'll try it."

* * *

The next day, wrapped up in mismatching suits (Makoto's a tad too small because Japan doesn't usually have pilots quite as big as the brunette), they enter the bay as one unit. As expected, as _hoped_, Rin feels powerful with these particular two at his side. Much as he loves his sister, Gou just isn't these two, just doesn't fill him with this much raw power. Her way is finesse that smoothes down his ragged edges and produces a clean, quick fighting style.

Rin loves her, but he knows they'd be compatible with others. His just happen to be right beside him.

A question he didn't expect is posed: who's going in first?

He looks over at the two and they look back, nothing but trust in their eyes. Makoto may even be excited. He gives the older pair a half-smile but his mind's made up.

"Haru! Let's give this a go."

* * *

"Drift sequence initiated."

It's the last thing he hears before he's dumped down, down, down, deep into Haru's memories.

There's a lot of water in there.

He reflects on that and a flash of amusement trickles between them.

Then Haru finds Australia.

Haru mourns briefly over Rin's own pain, passing along apology and regret and Rin sees how broken the other was after that last race on a New Year's break. They agree without thinking to speak of it later and then Haruka boldly shoves it ruthlessly away under the surface and then they're placid as a still lake. Rin's rough edges match up perfectly to Haru's and they fit together like puzzle pieces. They take a synchronized deep breath and feel the sudden metal extension of themselves out. They reach forward, hands crossed over each other in a signature diving form, and then draw back until their elbows are behind them.

Rin grins feral as a wildcat and Haru beside him quirks a grin of his own.

* * *

Makoto is nervous but once Rin settles beside him and gives his best friend a reassuring smile he can almost _feel_ the other relax and they're not even drifting yet.

But then they are.

Makoto doesn't gloss over his pain and loneliness. Rin can't ignore the thrum of terror that is Makoto's fear of water. He acknowledges, suddenly, that what Makoto's always said about there being something in the water is true, has ironically been true for a long time, and expectedly Makoto brushes his concern away. Makoto's never wanted to think of his own problems. Not when there's someone else's to concentrate on above his own. And Rin, Rin has plenty.  
Makoto takes his loneliness, his sadness, his regret and Rin swears it somehow feels like Makoto clutches them to his chest in a hug so crushing it feels like his heart may burst. The drift drops alarmingly on his side. It's not anything but relief, but some emotion he's not exactly willing to admit to, and either way green eyes catch watery red and he remembers that Makoto _knows_ anyway. So he smiles, and the brunette smiles back, and they stabilize. Makoto doesn't soothe Rin's rough edges; he realizes they're there and accepts them and prepares to utilize them. Makoto may not have the necessary force but Rin does and he sees that and he knows it.

Makoto is unused to a Jaeger in the sense of being connected to it, but he damn well knows this Jaeger. He's all but built this Jaeger with his own two hands. After a quick moment to collect his bearings they're moving in perfect sync and Rin can't help but feel thrilled to the core.

* * *

There's almost no point in Haruka and Makoto drifting.

They've been inside each other's heads since childhood; their linkup time is the shortest Rin has ever seen. If he'd have blinked he'd have missed it. The technicians are staring at the screen, running diagnostics, trying to decipher the error in their programs that shows the connection ironclad so quickly. But Rin feels a wild, excited grin tugging at his lips and when they come out he lets it go, lets them see.

And then he kisses them both, because really, they already knew he wanted to.

When they tie all three of them together for the first time Rin insists Makoto be in the middle. It's simultaneously knowledge that there's nowhere else he could be and a desire to protect him from everything he can.

He and Haru don't even fight as the Drift initiates; they both want this to work so badly they can taste it. Haru is left. Rin is right. Makoto smiles, blissful and shy, between them. He's happy to be where he is- he belongs between them, belongs in this circle with them, and settling here feels just _so_ right- and he makes no secret of it. Not that he could, but he doesn't even make the attempt. He lets them know. Lets them feel his unbridled joy. Rin takes it to heart and allows a susurrant echo to thread back. Haru is his usual emotionless self except for one thing.

He loves them.

It encompasses everything he needs to express and everything he wants to say without him having to do anything but feel but it's _enough_; it's all they need.

They can handle anything with bonds like the one they come to forge in the Drift.

* * *

It's late night, Rin couldn't say for sure when, but Makoto nuzzles him awake.

Haru is left. Rin is right. And Makoto is in the middle. They split the bed the way they will their Jaeger (once she's made).

"Rin," Makoto whispers across his shoulder blades. "Why did you decide to ask the Marshal about us?"

"You know the answer to that," he croaks, because they would have found his silly, hopelessly enamored reasoning in the Drift.

Makoto laughs. "True," he says. "Well then, why do you think you fell in love with us?"

He scowls at the clock that reads four in the morning. That's not a question that's been posed to him before (even by himself) and so they won't know the answers from the Drift. He actually has to answer now. Sneaky bastard.

He sighs and starts to look back over his shoulder before he thinks better of it and rolls up onto his elbows, head hitting the pillow regardless, and looks at Makoto with the eye not buried in his oh-so-soft and comfortable pillow. Green eyes are wide and expectant, Haru's chin curving over Makoto's neck, blue glowing in the darkness like Kaiju blood.  
"I could be sleeping," Rin grumbles.

But he's smiling.

"Well, how could _anyone_ not love you, Mako?"  
The blushing brunette shoves him in the arm and while Rin rocks back and forth with a soft chuckle a smile quirks Haru's lips.

"Be serious!" Makoto hisses.

"I am." Rin replies in a voice like honey. "But regardless, I don't really know... why. I don't. It's just you two. You're the only ones."

"It's not because we were on the same team?"

Makoto laughs at Haru's suggestion before Rin can but his verdant eyes glimmer with mirth when he asks, "Oh, is that it! So if we brought Nagisa here-"

"You bring Nagi here and I'll kill you." Rin snaps in a heartbeat.

They both laugh. Rin glares at them and reminds them "I could be sleeping," but then Haru's touch is feather-light on Rin's skin, and Rin sighs as he takes the time they continue laughing to really consider the convoluted matter of _them_.

"I really don't have a specific point I can say I fell for you. I can't even tell, now, if there _was_ a point or if I've been in love with you all along. Makoto, I meant what I said- I don't see how anyone _doesn't_ love you. That said, I will sock anyone who declares love to you next. And as for Haru... You know, _he's_ the one I'm most unsure of. Haru, when _did_ we fall for each other?"

Haru shrugs. "It's as you said," he murmurs. "Have we been all along or is it new? I'm not sure. But I don't think it's most apt to describe it as 'falling', really." He added. "We haven't _fallen_. Falling implies a drop and a landing; implies an end. I don't think that's going to happen with us. And I don't recall ever experience the sensation of a 'fall' with you. It's more..." He mulled it over a moment before finishing, "It's more that we eased into it."

Rin chuckled and dropped onto his side facing them now. "Sounds good."

Makoto eagerly reached out and drew him in close and Rin allows him- it's nice to be wanted- and all curled into their normal positions they fade off to sleep. Rin curls up enough to press his knees to Makoto's waist and Makoto's legs curve under his. Haru spoons against the tallest of them, nose hidden in the curve of the brunette's neck and arms around his waist, pressed right up against Rin's arm around Makoto's hips.

But not before Rin reaches out mentally and imagines he's poking Haru. And Haru immediately grumbles "Knock it off."

Rin has to smile at that.

This is... this is...

Right.

* * *

Finally watched Pacific Rim a while back and of course woke up at four a.m. afterward with the inability to go to sleep until I wrote out this plotbunny that wouldn't shut up. So here you are. You may not get another chapter for a while, but hey, have some randomness in the meantime.


End file.
